Multi-storey houses have a strikingly uniform complaint: the technician installs the router in the ground-floor living room, near where the cable enters, and the upstairs bedrooms, where people spend the most time on phones and laptops, get the worst signal.

That isn't because the router is too weak. The cause is the building itself.

Why concrete floors block so much

Floor slabs in Indonesian houses are usually reinforced concrete: thick concrete with a steel mesh inside. Concrete absorbs signal, and the steel mesh reflects it. Together they stop far more Wi-Fi signal than a brick wall.

On top of that, signal rarely passes through a floor straight up. A router in a corner of the house reaches an upstairs room on the far side at an angle, so the path through the concrete becomes longer.

Start with the router's position

Before buying anything, check where the router is. This free fix is often enough for a two-storey house that isn't too large.

  • Move it closer to the middle of the house, if the cable allows.
  • Place it as high as possible downstairs, on top of a cabinet, not on the floor or the bottom shelf of a TV unit.
  • Take it out of closed cabinets and away from aquariums, fridges, and large mirrors.
  • If the antennas are adjustable, angle some horizontally to radiate up and down.

A fuller placement guide is in the guide to placing a router.

When position alone isn't enough

Three-storey houses, large houses, or houses used mainly upstairs need a second transmitting point above. Three options, best first:

  • A cabled access point. Run an Ethernet cable from the router upstairs and install an access point or a second router in access-point mode. Full speed and the most stable. Many houses have an electrical conduit or a gap by the stairs that can be used.
  • Mesh Wi-Fi. One unit near the router, one upstairs, ideally on the landing or directly above the first unit, not in the furthest room. Mesh that supports a cable between units gives the best of both.
  • A repeater. Cheapest, but speed usually drops a lot and moving between floors often stutters. Suitable only for one room with light needs.

A full comparison is in the guide to mesh Wi-Fi vs repeaters.

The mistake with the second point

The most common mistake is putting the mesh unit or repeater in the room with the worst signal. It can only rebroadcast what it receives, if it receives a weak signal, the whole room stays slow.

Place it where it still gets a reasonably good signal from the router, usually at the top of the stairs or directly above the router. From there it reaches the upstairs rooms through brick walls, not through concrete.

Reinforced concrete slabs are the biggest Wi-Fi obstacle in multi-storey houses. Start by moving the router to the middle and higher up. If that isn't enough, add a second transmitting point upstairs, a cabled access point first, mesh when a cable isn't possible, and place it where it still receives a good signal, not in the worst room.

Frequently asked questions

Where should the router go in a two-storey house?

Ideally in the middle of the house and fairly high on the ground floor, such as on top of a cabinet, or upstairs if most use happens there. Avoid corners of the house and low spots inside closed cabinets.

Which is better for a multi-storey house, a repeater or mesh?

Mesh is generally better: one network name, smoother handover between points, and less speed loss. A cabled access point is still best if a cable can be run upstairs.